CDC reports two measles deaths in US as cases hit 35-year high

US sees record-breaking measles surge amid controversy over anti-vaccine rhetoric and revised death tracking system.Published On 29 Sep 202629 Sep 2026The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed two measles-related deaths from the 3,659 confirmed cases this year, the highest number of cases in 35 years.The CDC did not specify on Tuesday in which states the deaths occurred. However, Pennsylvania has been hardest hit by the outbreak with more than 900 reported cases.The preventable disease was declared eliminated in the US in 2000 but has made an aggressive comeback in recent years, which some have linked to a rise in vaccine scepticism.Members of US President Donald Trump’s administration, including Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. and the president himself, have been criticised for promoting debunked claims linking vaccines to autism, among other misleading statements.Deficiencies in fatality tracking triggered a public feud between Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Kennedy after Pennsylvania reported four measles-related deaths this year, which the CDC did not include in its national tally. Kennedy has maintained th...